Pages

Saturday, 24 May 2014

The canary is actually named for the Canary Islands, rather
than the other way around as you might think. The name originates from the
Latin name for the islands – Canariae Insulae “Island of Dogs” – a name
allegedly given to one of the islands by the Mauretanian king Juba II as a
result of the many large dogs found there, although it is possible that the
‘dogs’ were Monk Seals.

Friday, 16 May 2014

By now it will not surprise readers that there are numerous
endemic taxa of warblers on the islands, but at least today there is only one
classed as a full species, the Canary Chiffchaff Phylloscopus canariensis. We
saw many of these on Tenerife, including in the middle of town, so any birders
taking their families on a beach holiday should keep an eye out for it. They
breed on the central and western islands, but a separate subspecies,
P.canariensis exsul, was formerly found on Lanzarote (and possibly
Fuerteventura) but is now extinct. Other Phylloscopus warblers on the islands
are only passage migrants for the most part, but we were also lucky enough to
see at least two wintering Yellow-Browed Warblers, P. inornatus. Yellow-Browed
Warblers have increasingly wintered in western Europe (including even the UK)
in recent years, but they do not breed closer than the Urals.

Saturday, 10 May 2014

Several year ago I began this blog with a series of posts on the island of Mauritius and its wildlife. The latest edition of the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation includes a link to a great Youtube video about the restoration of the habitat on Isle Aux Aigrettes - please check it out.

Friday, 9 May 2014

There is a wide range of endemic or near-endemic species and
subspecies of insectivorous passerines on the Canaries, which reflects the
complicated ecological history of the islands. As the only breeding pipit in
the region, Berthelot’s Pipit Anthus berthelotti is found on the Canaries, Madeira,
and some nearby smaller islands. I found it very confiding – the photo at the
top of this post was taken from only a few feet away as it hopped around our
feet in a car park on Fuerteventura. As with almost all pipits’ it is a ground
nesting bird, which must make it vulnerable to feral cats, but despite this the
species is doing well in its range, and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Friday, 2 May 2014

There is a wide variety of endemic or near-endemic
passerines on the Canaries, but the most prominent large bird to be seen is the
very widespread Common Raven. This is of a different race to the form found in
Britain, and is classified as Corvus corax tingitanus, which is the same
subspecies as is found across North Africa, and has a higher pitched call than
the nominate subspecies. As a generalist and adaptable feeder, it must be a major
nest predator of all species both native and introduced, and no doubt also
feeds at rubbish tips or anywhere else food can be found. The one I
photographed here was hanging around a coach stop on Fuerteventura and was
obviously used to being fed by tourists.